Growth Marketing: 5 Steps to Starting a Freelance Business

Freelancing can be very profitable, but it can also be challenging to build your business from scratch, especially if you have never done it before. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to grow your business with growth marketing – even if you are working on your own! Here are five ways growth marketing can help you grow your freelance business faster and easier than ever before. Get Freelancing Skills that Are In Demand Having skills in demand is key to building a strong client base. Keep an eye on sites like Toptal, Contently and Simply Hired to see what freelancers are in highest demand; create professional profiles that highlight your experience in those areas; and learn everything you can about your services’ unique selling points. You’ll find better clients faster, build more sustainable relationships with them and be able to command more attractive rates for your services as you grow. According to OutofThe925, these are the top ten freelance services in demand: SEO Managers Mobile App Developers Online Course Creators Social Media Content Creators Freelance Writers UX Designers Virtual Assistants Bookkeepers / Accountants Graphic Designers Web Developers Sites such as Skillshare and Udemy offer courses to get you started in these fields. Gaining Experience with Volunteer Internship If you’re looking for your first taste of professional work, it might be best to start with an online internship. For example, I was able to volunteer as a marketing intern at HubSpot as part of my college’s program. As a result, I got real experience with brand management and SEO without having to leave school. Other ways to start growing your portfolio and skills include offering your service to friends and family. Posting an ad for limited number of low cost or free consultations can also be a way to start getting clients when you are just starting out. How to Sell Your Freelance Services If you’re looking for freelance clients, make sure your offer is compelling and differentiated. No one wants to work with someone who’s just like their last freelancer—business owners hire freelancers for their special skills, so highlight what makes you different. For example, be specific. Offer marketing materials such as infographics and whitepapers as opposed to the more general graphics. Explain what makes your graphics exceptional and then how those designs produce measurable results. A headline like: “Get Infographics that Tell Your Story and Get More Sales” might get more attention than “Graphic Design for Business”. Growth Hacking: How to Get Your First Sales as a Freelancer Don’t wait around for the first sale. No one wants to be the first sale if they don’t know you. If you are listing your service on a site such as Fiverr or Upwork, you will need to start getting sales and the valuable reviews that come with them. Go to facebook groups for ‘fiverr sales exchange’ or ‘fiver promotion’. There are other accounts that are just starting out. Exchange services with them, preferably services you can use for your business. For instance, exchange social media banners for blog post writing. Join some of the groups below, and start posting your gigs. Remember to follow the rules. Often other freelancer will message you and you can start the exchange. This is a great wat to use growth marketing to get your first sale. Share Your Results on Social Media It’s essential that you get your freelance business in front of as many people as possible. Don’t be shy about sharing your business on social media—it won’t hurt, but it could potentially help. There are numerous ways to spread your business online and get new clients, so don’t limit yourself by simply using Facebook and Twitter; Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn can be just as powerful. Connect with Other Freelancers I have used all these techniques successfully to grow my own businesses, and help clients do the same. In fact, I am doing it right now. As I build my writing service business on Fiverr and LinkedIn. Credits: Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva: @anastasia.shuraeva